


Afreet in the Valley of the Kings

by Brumeier



Series: Unexpected Discoveries 'Verse [10]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Community: ushobwri, Egypt, Established Relationship, M/M, Monster Hunters, Reality TV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-27
Updated: 2015-10-27
Packaged: 2018-04-28 11:43:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5089463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Deep in the Theban hills of Egypt lies the famed Valley of the Kings, home to sixty-three tombs and chambers that once contained the remains of the privileged nobility. The Valley showed a resurgence in tourism after the journals of famed Egyptologist Amelia Peabody Emerson were published several years ago, and now it’s in the news again thanks to run-ins with what locals are calling an afreet, or demon. The MU team is heading to this land of mummies, pyramids and ancient gods to see if we can track down the source of these afreet stories…without becoming entombed ourselves.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Afreet in the Valley of the Kings

**Author's Note:**

> This is for [Monster Fest 2015 at the You Should Be Writing](http://ushobwri.livejournal.com/84406.html) comm on LJ, covering Angels and Demons day.

_Deep in the Theban hills of Egypt lies the famed Valley of the Kings, home to sixty-three tombs and chambers that once contained the remains of the privileged nobility. The Valley showed a resurgence in tourism after the journals of famed Egyptologist Amelia Peabody Emerson were published several years ago, and now it’s in the news again thanks to run-ins with what locals are calling an afreet, or demon. The MU team is heading to this land of mummies, pyramids and ancient gods to see if we can track down the source of these afreet stories…without becoming entombed ourselves._

“Is it too late to change my mind about the camels?”

Rodney had one hand on the roll bar and the other on his head, holding down the ridiculous foreign legion hat that John had bought him at the Khan el-Khalili in Cairo. The Jeep bounced along the rutted road toward the Valley of the Kings, dust rising up in big, choking clouds as they followed the lead vehicle. Rodney was riding shotgun while John drove, and Laura got knocked around in the back with half the equipment boxes. All three of them were wearing goggles to protect their eyes from the fine sand and grit.

“You hate camels!” Laura shouted over the noise of the engine and the increasingly abused chassis. 

“They spit!” Rodney shouted back. “I might prefer it at this point!”

“Don’t be a wuss!”

Rodney flipped her off, nearly losing the stupid hat in the process.

When they finally arrived they found the wadi full of tourists, posing for pictures in front of the tombs and shopping for cheap souvenirs at the bazaar. Rodney could pick out at least five different languages being spoken, and three separate tour groups.

“So much for atmospheric background shots,” Kyle said with a scowl. “Why the hell are all these people here?”

“Same reason you are,” Evan pointed out. “Archaeology junkies.”

“Well, let’s do a quick lead-in. John?”

Kyle and John got into position, the peak of al-Qurn providing a backdrop for Kyle’s monologue.

“By day, the Valley of the Kings is a popular spot for tourists who want to take a peek inside ancient tombs, and walk in the footsteps of famous archaeologists such as Howard Carter, William Petrie, and the Emerson family. By night, a demon is said to haunt the valley, terrorizing the guards. It’s hard to imagine it now, with the throngs of –”

“Mysteries Unknowing!” Kyle was interrupted by a portly, sun-burnt man wearing an oversized floppy hat. “I am big fan!”

Kyle was clearly annoyed by the interruption, but he slapped a smile on his face. He always made time for his fans, and there turned out to be plenty of them in the valley. It wasn’t long before the entire crew was surrounded by people taking selfies and asking for autographs. Rodney’s attempt to slink away was thwarted by a gaggle of teenagers.

“Vous êtes très bon, Monsieur!”

“You’re so lucky! John is such a hottie!”

“I wish to have adventures such as yours!”

Rodney sent a panicked look John’s way, but he was similarly engulfed. “Yes, well…thank you. For your enthusiasm.”

A young girl raised her hand. “Mr. Rodney?”

He braced himself for another inane comment. The girl looked too young to watch MU, judging by her size and the glitter pony on her shirt. Interacting with fans was never Rodney’s strong suit, particularly the young ones, and he kept looking for an exit.

“Do you think the Canon XF105 is better than the Sony PMW-300?”

Rodney gaped at her. “What? Uh…I’ve had better luck with the Canons in the past. Just because something is higher priced doesn’t make it better.”

“Yes, but the Sony has better HD.”

“No buts. You can’t let your head get turned by every new bell and whistle. Out in the field reliability is what counts.”

“But you’re making a show. Quality is better for that, right?”

Rodney narrowed his eyes, and set about trying to educate the girl on the realities of camera equipment and filming on the fly. For someone in pigtails, she kept up her end of the argument admirably, and Rodney was almost sad when it was time for the team to move on.

*o*o*o*

“I’ve never felt more like I’m in a Scooby-Doo episode than I do right now. All we need is a shambling mummy.”

As innocuous as the Valley of the Kings was during the day, with the souvenir stalls and port-a-potties, at night it was a whole different place. There were security lights set up at intervals, but in deference to their investigation the guards were conspicuously absent. The shadows were deep and dark, and the occasional yipping jackal added just enough ambience to keep things creepy.

Base camp had been set up by KV-5, tomb of the sons of Rameses II. It made Rodney nervous, sitting that close to a grave, even if it didn’t have bodies in it anymore. The team had run countless investigations in cemeteries, and on ancient burial grounds, but to Rodney this felt different.

 _Ruh roh, Raggy_ , Laura said in her best Scooby-Doo voice.

Rodney fought back a grin, glad no-one could see him. “Ha, ha. Very funny. You’re clearly Shaggy in this scenario.”

_And you’re Velma._

“Well, she was the smartest.”

 _You do look good in orange_ , John interjected. Rodney was equally glad no-one could see him blush.

 _Can we please focus on the job at hand?_ Kyle grumbled.

 _Can do, Freddy_ , Laura snickered.

Rodney checked the live feeds. Laura, Ronon and Evan were exploring the area between KV-16 and KV-18, while Kyle and John had gone further into the valley. Things had been pretty quiet. No tomb robbers, no afreet, not even a curious tourist sneaking in after hours.

Almost an hour of abject boredom passed before something interesting passed in front of one of the perimeter cameras. Rodney leaned forward, eyes intent on the monitor, and watched someone make their way stealthily down the hillside by KV-8, using the shadows to his or her full advantage.

“Base camp for Kyle.”

_Go for Kyle. You got something?_

“Someone coming down the hillside by KV-8. In a very ninja-like way, which means it’s probably not one of the guards.”

_John and I are closest. We’ll double back, see if we can intercept our mystery guest._

“Be careful.”

_Kyle for Ronon._

_We’re already on our way. Watch your backs._

Rodney was on the edge of his camp chair, simultaneously watching John’s feed and the feed from camera three. The mysterious man – he was almost certain it was a man, based on body shape and gait – was nearly out of frame when he seemingly caught sight of the camera. He changed direction until he was right up on it, his face filling Rodney’s monitor; definitely a man. He winked, and then vanished.

“Kyle, I’ve lost visual.”

_Roger that. Everyone fan out, and keep your eyes open._

As far as Rodney could determine, the intruder was headed straight down into the valley, so the odds of him showing up on either camera four and camera two were slim. He abandoned the stationary cameras and watched John’s feed. Nothing but sand and tombs. 

“Quite a lot of technology for tomb robbers,” a voice said from behind Rodney. He jumped up, knocking over the camp chair, and whirled around to find himself face-to-face with the intruder.

“We’re not here to rob anything,” Rodney said defensively. He reached slowly for his pocket before remembering that he left his Taser in the Jeep; he hadn’t thought he’d need it. “We have permission to be here for filming. You’re the one skulking around.”

“Am I skulking? I hadn’t realized. My apologies.” The man was British, though his accent was very slight. “Anthony Bliss-Tregarth, assistant to the Secretary General of the SCA.”

He held out his hand expectantly and after a minute Rodney shook it. The guy seemed pleasant enough, but he’d learned not to take things at face value. Anyone could say they worked for the Supreme Council of Antiquities, but that didn’t make it true.

“Do you have ID?”

“Of course.” Anthony reached into his pocket – and who the hell wore a suit in the desert? – and pulled out a leather case, which he handed to Rodney. “I believe you’ll find everything in order.”

The ID certainly seemed legit, not that Rodney was an expert in these things. The so-called assistant took a very good photo. He wasn’t as ridiculously handsome as John, of course, but he had very symmetrical features.

“So why are you sneaking around, if you’re all official?”

_Kyle for base camp._

“I heard there were strangers in the valley and I wanted to see what you were up to. I assume you have the proper permits?”

“Of course I do.” Rodney fished the stack of forms out of his backpack. The Egyptian government had very strict regulations when it came to filming at historical sites.

_Come in, base camp._

Anthony gave the papers a very quick perusal before handing them back. “Well, it seems all is well here. I shall leave you to it.”

_Rodney!_

“What?” he snapped, thumbing on his radio.

_Is everything okay there?_

“Everything’s fine. I found our mystery man. He works for the SCA.”

_We’ll be there in a minute. Don’t let him leave._

“Yes, yes. Fine.” He righted the camp chair and offered it to his unlikely guest, who politely declined. “The team is on their way.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what are you and your group filming out here at night?”

“We’re investigating the afreet.” Rodney felt a little silly saying it. Sometimes the job sounded incredibly juvenile, especially when he was trying to explain it to someone. He knew well enough how dangerous it could be, and how well trained the team was, but MU had plenty of critics who looked down on their sometimes-fanciful investigations.

“Ah! Well, congratulations then. You’ve found him.”

“What? You?”

“My associate Mahmoud, actually, if I’m to give credit where credit is due.”

Before Rodney could ask Anthony any more questions the team arrived, panting and out of breath as if they’d been running. Which was flattering, but he hadn’t needed rescuing. This time.

“Rodney, you okay?” John was at his side in an instant, his free hand gripping Rodney’s arm tightly.

“I’m fine. Anthony, this is the MU team. Everyone, this Anthony something hyphenated from the SCA.”

“Anthony Bliss-Tregarth,” the man in question replied smoothly. He shook hands all around. “Just keeping an eye on things here in the valley.”

“He said his buddy is the afreet.”

“Well, this is a story I’d like to hear more about,” Kyle said. He waved his hand at Evan so that he’d film the exchange.

“Not much of a story, really. We’ve had some trouble as of late, thanks to rumors of a new tomb being discovered, and the afreet helps keep people away. Even in this day and age, Egyptians are a very superstitious people. And foreigners will know that the guards are on high alert, so they stay away as well.”

“Scooby-Doo episode,” Rodney muttered in John’s ear.

“Sorry to disrupt your investigation,” Anthony continued. “But as you can see, there’s nothing here to film.”

“So it would seem,” Kyle sighed. “All right, team. Let’s pack it up.”

“If there’s anything the SCA can help you with, please don’t hesitate to call.” Anthony gave Rodney his business card, lingering a bit too long over Rodney’s hand. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you.”

“Oh, well. Yes. You, too.” Rodney was flustered, and jammed the card into his pocket.

Anthony slipped back into the shadows and disappeared. Not even five minutes later a piercing, undulating call rolled through the valley, making the hairs on Rodney’s arms stand up.

“Mahmoud, I presume.”

“Let’s hope the microphones picked that up,” Kyle said. “We can use it in the finished piece.”

“No wonder people stay away from here at night,” Laura said. “That would totally freak me out.”

“You sure you want to leave?” Evan asked. “We could try to find this Mahmoud guy.”

Kyle shook his head. “We look for monsters, not men. Let’s go, we have enough footage.”

Another call echoed, and Rodney thought he saw someone standing on one of the cliffs overlooking the wadi. He could’ve sworn it was Anthony.

*o*o*o*

Rodney called the SCA before the team wrapped up in Egypt – Kyle had insisted on taking the Amelia Peabody Emerson archaeology tour – just on a hunch. And he was right.

There was no Anthony Bliss-Tregarth associated with that organization.

Three weeks later a new tomb was discovered in the Valley of the Kings, but it had already been picked over and most of the valuables absconded with. Rodney was pretty sure that was a win for the Scooby-Doo villains.

**Author's Note:**

>  **AN:** Smiles2go requested something with a pyramid theme, and mention of Amelia Peabody from the novels by Elizabeth Peters. I added in the hypothetical offspring of Vicky Bliss and John Tregarth from the author’s other series, both because I love them and because in the books John was descended from the Peabody-Emersons. I would recommend both series for anyone who loves mysteries, antiquities, and strong female heroines.


End file.
